While New Jersey voters support President Barack Obama's Economic Stimulus Package 53 - 36
percent, they are divided over whether it will help the nation's economy and two-thirds say it will not
help their personal finances, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today. Voters say 67 -
28 percent that the stimulus plan won't help them personally.

New Jersey voters approve 65 - 16 percent of the overall job President Barack Obama is doing
and approve 59 - 21 percent of the way he is handling the economy.

The nation's economy is "not so good," 27 percent say, while 70 percent say it is "poor." Only 2
percent say the U.S. economy is "good" and 1 percent says it is "excellent."

A total of 51 percent are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" the plan will help solve the
nation's economic problems, while 47 percent are "not too confident" or "not confident at all."

Only 43 percent of New Jersey voters are "very confident" or "somewhat confident" the
stimulus plan will help the Garden State, while 56 percent are "not too confident' or "not confident at
all."

"The bottom line is that a majority of New Jersey voters say their personal financial situation is
poor or not so good and two thirds do not expect their personal finances to get any better because of
President Obama's Economic Stimulus Package being debated in Washington," said Clay F. Richards,
assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.

New Jersey voters say 68 - 10 percent that the U.S. economy will improve by the end of
Obama's first term. But 72 percent say it will take more than a year for the Economic Stimulus Package
to work, while 22 percent say it will never work.

"Voters give the new President a strong 65 percent job approval rating, but nearly three quarters
say it will take more than a year for the stimulus program to work. One voter in five says it will not
work at all," Richards added.
Personal Finances

They're worse off financially than they were a year ago, 57 percent say, as 21 percent say they're
better off and 21 percent say things are the same. Their personal finances will get better in the next
year, 30 percent say, while 15 percent expect things to get worse and 52 percent expect things to stay
the same.

A total of 66 percent of New Jersey voters are "very worried" or "somewhat worried" that they
will not have enough money to live on in retirement.

"New Jersey voters are gloomy about their own financial prospects, with more than half saying
their personal finances are not so good or poor. Among those with a retirement plan or 401k, 88 percent
have lost money. And 66 percent of all voters are worried about not having enough money to live on in
retirement," Richards said.

From January 29 - February 5, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,173 New Jersey registered
voters with a margin of error of +/- 2.9 percentage points.

The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion
surveys in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and nationally as a public
service and for research.

12. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Barack Obama is handling his job
as President?

TREND: By the end of Barack Obama's term in office, do you expect the economy
to be better than it is today, worse than it is today, or about the same?

Feb 5 Nov 20
2009 2008
Better 68 66
Worse 10 11
Same 16 17
DK/NA 5 6

25. Congress is debating President Obama's economic stimulus package which
includes tax cuts and new federal spending of about 800 billion dollars. Do
you support or oppose this economic stimulus package?

28. The economic stimulus package will provide about 4 billion dollars for
New Jersey. How confident are you that this will help solve New Jersey's
economic problems - very confident, somewhat confident, not too confident, or
not confident at all?

34. Because of what's going on in the economy today, how worried are you that
you will not have enough money to live on in retirement - Very worried, somewhat
worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?

TREND: Because of what's going on in the economy today, how worried are you
that you will not have enough money to live on in retirement - Very worried,
somewhat worried, not too worried, or not worried at all?